Reappraising the Provenance of Early Neoproterozoic Strata in the Southern-Southeastern North China Craton and Its Implication for Paleogeographic Reconstruction

The early Neoproterozoic sediments in the southern-southeastern (S-SE) North China Craton (NCC) are critical in paleogeographic reconstruction. We present new detrital zircon U-Pb-Hf data of five sandstone samples from the Sangwon Supergroup in SE-NCC and the Wufoshan Group in S-NCC. We integrate published zircon U-Pb data to appraise their provenance. The new dataset constrains the maximum depositional age of the Sangwon Supergroup to be ca. 1.0 Ga. The similar provenance transition and the comparable sequence stratigraphy imply that the Wufoshan Group could be an extension of the Xuhuai-Dalian-Pyongnam basins in the SE NCC with a maximum depositional age of ca. 1.0 Ga. The zircon age spectra of the successions show four major populations at ca. 2.5 Ga, ca. 2.0-1.8 Ga, ca. 1.6-1.4 Ga, ca. 1.3-1.0 Ga, with rare >2.5 Ga grains. The Archean-Paleoproterozoic grains could be derived from the NCC, which is confirmed by their epsilon Hf(t) values. After a review of the possible paleocontinental reconstructions, we suggest that the ca. 1.6-1.0 Ga grains with different epsilon Hf(t) values (mostly positive) were from the southwestern Congo craton, supporting a NCC-SW Congo/SE NCC-S Sao Francisco connection at ca. 0.9 Ga.

Automated summary

This study focuses on the early Neoproterozoic sediments in the southern-southeastern North China Craton (NCC) and their significance in paleogeographic reconstruction. New detrital zircon U-Pb-Hf data is presented for sandstone samples from the Sangwon Supergroup in SE-NCC and the Wufoshan Group in S-NCC, along with published zircon U-Pb data to determine their provenance. The results suggest a maximum depositional age of approximately 1.0 Ga for the Sangwon Supergroup and a possible extension of the Xuhuai-Dalian-Pyongnam basins in the SE NCC for the Wufoshan Group. The zircon age spectra show major populations at different time intervals, with potential contributions from the NCC and the southwestern Congo craton. The findings support a connection between the NCC and the southwestern Congo/SE NCC-S Sao Francisco at around 0.9 Ga. These results provide important insights into paleogeographic evolution.